Healthy
in Body, Mind and Spirit
Volume 3
Mental
Health
Based on the Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Rabbi
Menachem M. Schneerson
By Rabbi Sholom B. Wineberg
Published
by
Sichos In English
Healthy
in Body, Mind and Spirit
Volume 3
Published by Sichos In English at Smashwords
Copyright 2007 Sichos In English
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788 Eastern Parkway • Brooklyn, N.Y. 11213
5767 • 2007
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Credits
Rochel
Chana Riven for editing.
Yosef Yitzchok Turner for designing the
layout and typography.
Rabbi Yonah Avtzon for preparing text for
publication.
Avrohom Weg for designing the cover.
Uri Kaploun
for editorial assistance.
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ISBN 978-1-4660-9712-4
Chapter 1: Compiler’s Foreword
B”H
With heartfelt gratitude to G-d for the warm and positive reception the first two volumes in this series received, we hereby present the third and final volume of Healthy in Mind, Body and Spirit — A Guide to Good Health, based on the teachings and writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. These volumes present a broad, representative selection of the Rebbe’s advice and insights on physical and mental health.
While volume one dealt with health issues of a general nature and volume two with specific physical health issues, this final and concluding volume deals with specific issues of mental health.
Since, as the Rebbe so often indicated, the physical and spiritual health of a Jew are inextricably intertwined, many of the Rebbe’s responses and comments also relate to a Jew’s spiritual wellbeing. This is particularly true regarding mental health, as mental and spiritual health and wellbeing are so very often interrelated.
* * *
Most of the material assembled in this work consists of private responses to individuals. It must therefore be borne in mind that the Rebbe’s answer to one individual does not necessarily apply at all to another, for, as the Rebbe once wrote,1 “It is patently obvious2 that a directive to an individual does not serve at all as a directive to the public, even when the issues are the same.”
Moreover, some of the responses to individuals are not necessarily the Rebbe’s final word on the matter, particularly since the Rebbe would encourage the use of the latest medical advances, procedures and medications, some of which were not extant at the time he offered those responses.
What we have done to try to resolve this latter difficulty is to quote numerous responses, even though some may appear different from others. The dates or sources cited may be of benefit in distinguishing the Rebbe’s later responses. So, too, by noting that numerous answers are written in the same vein, we have an indication of the Rebbe’s overall approach to a specific issue or matter.
* * *
Knowledge of the Rebbe’s directives on healing echoes the theme of a letter that the Rebbe wrote before accepting the mantle of leadership. There he writes with regard to the Previous Rebbe:3 “There is a Rebbe among the Jewish people and he is not bound at all by the limitations of nature. A person who wishes to proceed on a secure path with regard to crucial life decisions should not lift his hand without asking the Rebbe. When a person is confused or confronted by fundamental life questions, he must know that the Jewish people have not been left without succor. There is someone to ask....
“He should not rely solely on his own understanding..., nor on the doctor. ...These are approaches that involve doubt. He has a sure path where he can clarify his doubts.... And when he follows [the Rebbe’s] directives, he will succeed.”
* * *
To conclude on a personal note: This final volume of the series is dedicated to my dear friends, Dr. Stanley Brand, Dr. Eric Kulick and Dr. Michael Sokol, eminent healers of “body, mind and spirit,” who assisted me greatly in this three-volume work. May G-d grant them all continued success in their respective medical specialties, coupled with continued good health and much Yiddishe nachas from their families.
May our study of these volumes of the Rebbe’s teachings and directives strengthen our continued spiritual bond with him, and enable us to merit “the all-encompassing healing that will come in the Ultimate Future, in the era of Mashiach; may he come speedily in our days.”4
Sholom
B. Wineberg
Overland Park, Kansas
Nissan
2, 5767
Yahrtzeit of the Rebbe Nishmaso Eden, the Rebbe
Rashab,
Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, of blessed memory,
the
Fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe
Chapter 2: Coping With Tragedy, Misfortune And Life’s Adversities
Depressed Mental State
... I am in receipt of your letter.
Judging by your writing, I trust it is unnecessary to emphasize to you at length that one of the foundations of our faith and way of life is the firm conviction that G-d’s providence extends to everyone individually, and that He is the Essence of Goodness and does only good, as the Torah states, “And G-d saw all that He had done and behold it was very good.”5
And while G-d gave man freedom of choice to choose his way in life and his daily conduct, He has, in His goodness, given us His Torah, which teaches us what the right way of life is and how to accurately pursue it.
Therefore, your writing that you find life “a burden,” and the general mood in which your letter is written, are completely out of harmony with the Jewish way of life.
I can, of course, understand that such a mood is possible in light of the events and occurrences that you describe in your letter. However, this is possible only if you do not take into account the fact that everything is by Divine providence, and therefore you think that you are alone in the world and quite forsaken, having only yourself to rely upon, and so on.
On the other hand, if you bear in mind that everything that happens occurs through G-d’s providence which affects every single individual, and that the only freedom a person has is freedom [in those matters with which] he personally is concerned but he has no control over events relating to others, then you will view matters in a different light.
Though you may still not understand why such seeming untoward events occur, it will no longer surprise you, knowing the limitations of the human mind and how impossible it is for a human mind to grasp and understand the infinite wisdom of G-d, who is called Ein Sof (Infinite).
Consequently, seeing that G-d provided you with the gift of life and other blessings, and at the same time provides you the opportunity to fulfill His will, not because He needs the satisfaction and pleasure of having His will fulfilled, but simply because this is how He makes it possible for a Jew to spread G-d’s light in the world at large, and especially in his own family and immediate environment, surely it is out of place to refer to these blessings of G-d as “a burden,” G-d forbid.
Nor is it right to consider as burdensome the fact that it is difficult to see the good clearly for, as our Sages declare, “The reward matches the effort.”6 The better and more worthy the object, the harder it is to obtain, and while the difficulties may be imaginary or real, the effort to overcome these difficulties will be truly rewarding, and the reward will infinitely surpass the effort. It is surely unnecessary to elaborate further on this subject.
I suggest that you have the mezuzos of your home checked, as well as your tefillin, if they have not been checked within the past twelve months, and every weekday morning before putting on the tefillin you should put aside a small coin for tzedakah.
No doubt your wife observes the good custom of putting aside a small coin for tzedakah before lighting the candles.
(From a letter of the Rebbe)
Sadness and Disillusionment
I received your letter in which you briefly describe the hardships you have endured during your lifetime — the wanderings, the [traumatic] experiences, the grief. Finally, you describe your recent arrival in .... and your observations about matters that seem to be inexplicable.
... You wonder — as you write — why there seems to be no explanation for the events that transpired with your family and in your home.
When you will consider this matter a bit, you will realize that there is really no cause for wonder, for a person can only understand to a limited extent those events that transpire in his life and around him. It is therefore not possible for him to truly comprehend the events that he perceives.
To make this matter perfectly clear, I will provide you with an example:
Imagine a person entering a hospital operating theater and seeing someone lying on the operating table. People brandishing knives surround him and are cutting him, and the person is groaning with pain. Nevertheless, these people continue with their cutting.
The chance observer, wholly unaware of the concept and purpose of a surgical procedure, will leave the room in an uproar — a human being was forcibly taken and is being cut up, he is groaning with pain and cannot free himself from his tormentors and murderers.
However, when the accidental observer is given to understand that the operation is critical in order for the patient to live many more decades, for which reason excessive consideration is not being given to the patient’s temporary pain and discomfort during the few hours of the operation, [then his position will change entirely].
The guest observer will not only fully agree that they — the “cutters” — are not tormentors and murderers, but he will now understand that the very opposite is true: they are doing the greatest possible favor to the individual who is under the knife.
And this is so, [i.e., they are truly performing an act of goodness and kindness by operating,] notwithstanding the fact that the cutter — in modern terminology, the surgeon — cannot offer a 100% guarantee that the outcome of the surgery will be successful, nor how many more years the patient will live following the surgery — even if the surgery is successful.
We understand from the above that a person may experience in his lifetime a matter that pains him for a period of time — true pain and not imaginary.
That person, however, is also aware of — and moreover, sees — the Divine Hand of individual providence; i.e., that the world’s conduct is not without rhyme or reason and it functions according to a definite system. Moreover, this system encompasses not only himself and also his family, but so many others as well.
Normal, healthy and sound intellect then dictates that surely these [seemingly untoward] events do not violate the overall system that prevails in the world around him. It is merely that the individual has not heard from [G-d, the benevolent] “Professor of Healing,” what great benefit will result from the temporary pain.
There are those who question and say that they doubt that the world has a system and purpose, but everyone knows from physics, chemistry, astronomy, and so on (recognized not only by Jews or by believing people but even by non-believers) that even the smallest atom has its exact rules.
Everything must operate in accordance with the rules: even the earth, rocks, plants and animals, and everything that surrounds us has definitive laws and established methods, even though it is far more complex and vast than one person and his family.
When we encounter difficult times in our lives, many are spurred to question the existence of a Divine system and master plan for our world. When one part of the world’s structure appears out of sync with the way we understand it should be, we are quick to draw conclusions about the entire cosmos.
However, the worlds of physics, chemistry, astronomy or the other natural sciences demonstrate otherwise.
There, even the smallest atom is seen to have its own structure and function; every particle of matter is subject to specific laws and is part of a defined framework — a cosmic order which is vast and complex.
... Imagine that you are in a massive building that has thousands of rooms; the furniture in each room is perfectly arranged. However, in one tiny room with strange furnishings, the sense of organization so obvious in the rest of the structure is not immediately apparent.
Since the gigantic building and its thousands of chambers can be seen as part of an orderly system, undoubtedly the individual room and its unique furnishings are also part of the overall plan. Although the untrained observer may not at first understand the unusual pattern, with some thought he will come to realize that it must also be a part of the larger system.
I feel it would be superfluous to spell out the meaning of the parable. I just wish to add one detail: If each one of us, including you yourself, were to ponder all the events of our lives wherever they occurred, and we would look objectively, we would have to agree that there were tens and thousands of instances where we were led in a certain direction.
Nevertheless, the Holy One desires that a person should do things of his own free will. He therefore allows each person the ability to choose his own path. It is therefore no wonder that being only human, there can be a few occasions when a person falls off the path, and instead of the path being a straight one, there are some zig-zags.
But if we give it thought and we don’t fool ourselves, we see to it that the number of zig-zags should be as few and infrequent as possible. Then we arrive at the goal which the Holy One has set up for every person and particularly for each individual, that he and his family should be truly happy.
We can come to this by conducting ourselves according to Torah which is known as the Torah of Life. We need only be wary of the criticism often used by the evil inclination: he points to a person who people believe to be frum and who conducts himself according to Torah, and then goes about highlighting that individual’s seeming deficiencies.
The evil inclination thus wishes to demonstrate to the person with whom it is seeking to influence, that since [the frum person] is a person who conducts himself according to Torah and nonetheless has these negative points — the proof being that he did this or that misdeed — then the Torah itself must perforce not be commendable, G-d forbid.
This, however, is of course patently false, for the evil inclination is only presenting one aspect of the person and not the individual as a whole.
This is illuminated by a story.
If a person is walking in the street and meets someone leaving a medical specialist’s office and the person is using crutches, the passerby could think that the specialist is not good. After all, this person visited him and paid him a lot of money, and is obeying all the doctor’s instructions, and he still needs crutches!
But if someone would explain to the passerby that before the patient was in the doctor’s care he couldn’t move his feet altogether and was completely paralyzed, then he would realize that the doctor had reduced the paralysis, strengthened the patient, and enabled him to use his feet and even to walk.
As time goes on, things improve [for the patient] and it’s getting easier, even though he still needs crutches. There may come a time, if he follows the doctor’s advice, that he will get rid of the crutches and be completely healed.
The same is true for people. From the time they are born, they [all] have different qualities. Some have more good and some more bad. Through education by good teachers, and above all through self-improvement, provided it is done correctly, these bad traits over time become weaker and less effective.
Since a person has to grow his entire life, it is no wonder that we can meet a person in the middle of his personal growth and development work — his self-training — and still find some of his negative qualities. This is not necessarily because he isn’t following the instructions of the “specialist” in his training, rather that by every measure he has weakened and reduced his negative [qualities] compared to how he was earlier on.
I want to end by expressing my intent in this letter. I don’t intend this to be mere philosophy; rather to implant in you the idea that if you will want to apply your objectivity and good intellect, it should bring you to strengthen your trust in Hashem and to look with a positive eye at the people around you in general and the inhabitants of ... especially.
See their positive points, which for the most part they worked hard to develop, and view their negative points, if there are any, in the way we discussed previously with regard to the temporary crutches.
Above all you must know that you must do your part to illuminate and brighten your surroundings, not only your own family, but a larger group of people. This can be achieved by being permeated with love of a fellow Jew. This will be beneficial to all and certainly is good and will achieve goodness for you and your family.
I hope you will read this letter with the appropriate attention. It is self-understood that if you have any questions or lack of understanding, I will be happy for you to write about them and I will answer to the extent I am able, even if because of many obligations the answer may be a little delayed.
I feel also that the occasional delays are also an instruction: that you are being given additional time that of your own free will you should change your view of the people around you, and come to realize that an individual’s conduct is subject to constant improvement, and the A-lmighty should grant you success.
(Igros Kodesh, Vol. XIII, p. 170)
Suffering, Illness and Death
... I duly received your letter in which you write about various things that you do not understand, such as the suffering of your father [during his illness]. Particularly, why should G-d make any good person suffer?
Judging by your letter, it is surely unnecessary to emphasize to you at length the obvious idea, namely, that it is certainly not surprising that a human being does not understand the ways of G-d, for a created and finite being surely cannot understand the infinite.
The opposite [idea, i.e., that man understands the ways of G-d,] would be rather surprising, and it is only due to G-d’s infinite kindness that He has revealed to man certain aspects of His Divine providence.
There is a simple illustration: It would surely not be surprising that a five-year-old child could not understand the conduct of a great scientist, even though the scientist was at one time a five-year-old boy, and the present five-year-old boy may grow up and become an even greater scientist.
In other words, the five-year-old boy is potentially in possession of all the qualities of the mature scientist, yet it would not be surprising that the five-year-old boy cannot understand the great scientist.
But a created human being has nothing in common with the Creator insofar as intelligence and capacities are concerned. It is only because of G-d’s kindness that certain aspects of G-d’s providence have been revealed to man, including as well the question of suffering, for with regard to suffering we can employ a similar analogy:
When a young child is told to sit down, learn the “ABC’s,” do homework, etc., this deprives him of going out into the fresh air, interferes sometimes with him having his meal on time, and might also curtail his sleeping hours, etc.
The child, while complying with these instructions, is not doing so because he realizes their wisdom, but because he has no choice in the matter, since he is compelled by his father or mother or teacher to do this. This is not a case where one takes away his freedom to keep him from breaking windows and the like, [in which case the child would more readily understand the reasons for these instructions].
As far as the child is concerned, for him it is true suffering to be deprived of fresh air, or rest, etc., which most agree are considered good things. Nevertheless, of what consideration is the child’s temporary suffering, even though it may extend for days or even months, in comparison with the good that he will enjoy as a result for the rest of his life.
A further point to remember is this:
When a person who has been ill succumbs to his illness, it is clear to every normal person that the illness affected only the physical body. Obviously if there is something wrong, say, with the blood of the patient, it cannot affect the patient’s spiritual life and his everlasting soul.
In other words, when a patient succumbs to an illness, this only happens because the union between the soul and the body has come to an end, but the soul is an everlasting one. This is one of the basic foundations of our Jewish faith, as well as that of many other faiths.
It is frequently explained and emphasized in the Torah that life on this earth is only a preparation for the future and everlasting life in the World to Come.
This is also taught in the well-known Mishnah of Pirkei Avos, which we read and study during these Shabbasos: The Mishnah states, “This world is like a vestibule to the future world; prepare yourself in the vestibule so that you can enter the banquet hall” (Avos 4:16).
Now, even if one was subjected to a period of suffering when he was in the vestibule, the fact that he will surely derive infinite gain in the “banquet hall” makes it unquestionably worthwhile.
It is impossible to describe the joys of the life of the soul in the World to Come, for even in this world — i.e., while the soul is connected to the body — the life of the soul is on an infinitely higher plane than the life of the body in which it is vested, and the body cannot possibly comprehend this form of life; how much more so when the soul is no longer distracted by the body.
Compare the vast gulf between the joy and excitement of a child when he receives a piece of tasty candy and the joy of a very wise and learned scientist who succeeds in resolving an important scientific problem. Here again, as mentioned before, there is some connection between the child and the scientist, and all these forms of joy are comparable.
But as far as life on this earth and the life of the soul in the future world is concerned, the differences between them are not of degree but of kind, and there is no common denominator between the two.
At the same time it should be remembered that the suffering in the “vestibule,” which is no more than a corridor to the “banquet hall,” is after all a temporary one, and the gain is eternal. ...
(From a letter of the Rebbe)
Overcoming
Despondency by Having Emotions
Act in Tandem With Belief and
Intellect
Jewish men and women are generally “believers, sons of believers,” that is to say, they all believe and also comprehend that G-d alone conducts the entire world. Jews also believe with perfect faith that G-d is the Essence of Goodness.
You surely heard as well the saying of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of blessed memory, who related in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, that G-d loves every Jewish man and woman as a father loves an only child. (In fact, He loves them even more than that; this analogy is used because we cannot imagine a greater love than that of a parent to an only child.)
The upshot of all the above [is this]: that all that G-d does is for the good; [and] since G-d desires that things be good for Jews not only spiritually but materially as well, surely His goodness extends not only to the realm of the spiritual, but also to the realm of the material.
As mentioned before, Jews not only believe the above but understand this rationally as well. It sometimes happens, however, that while this is believed and understood by the person, unfortunately this belief and understanding does not seep into the person’s heart and emotions. The result of this is that certain [untoward] events cause him to feel heartbroken and despondent, G-d forbid.
... When, however, a person works on himself, endeavoring to have his belief and understanding filter down into his emotions, this results in the realization and feeling that “All that G-d does, He does for the good”7 — indeed, it cannot possibly not be so. This enables the individual to eventually be able to perceive and feel that matters are overtly and obviously good.
For since G-d rewards the individual in kind, “measure for measure,” this attitude engenders G-d’s revealing to all, and particularly to that individual himself, the goodness that lies concealed in the [seemingly unpleasant event,] so that it may be perceived [for the good it truly is,] even with the naked eye.
... I extend to you my prayerful wishes that very soon G-d should demonstrate to you the complete goodness that transpired in the past events in your life and which you have failed to see until now, and that you be truly joyful in all aspects, both spiritual and material.
(Igros Kodesh, Vol. IV, p. 220)
Dealing With Setbacks and Adversity
... I surely need not emphasize to you that a true businessman is not one who can manage his affairs when conditions are favorable and matters are running smoothly and successfully, but also, and even more so, when he demonstrates that he knows how to deal with adversity and the occasional setback.
Indeed, facing up to the challenge of adversity makes one a stronger and more effective executive than before, with an added dimension of experience and a keener acumen, which can be put to good use even when things begin to turn upwards.
Sometimes, a temporary setback is just what is needed for the resumption of the advance with greater vigor, as in the case of an athlete having to negotiate a hurdle, where stepping back is necessary in order to facilitate a higher leap.
(From a letter of the Rebbe, dated 25 Shevat, 5736)
Overcoming
Feelings of Abandonment
And Having One’s Life Depend Entirely
Upon Oneself
... Surely you are correct in writing that you have already suffered enough; it is high time for everyone to be helped in all that they require, particularly with regard to good health, and I hope you will be able to convey to me glad tidings regarding your improved health.
I wish to note the following, although I am not entirely sure whether this is wholly germane to your situation:
Quite often, a person’s feelings of self-assurance and security are dependent on something outside of and higher than himself — in simpler terms, [they are dependent] on his feelings of faith and bitachon in the Creator of the world as a whole and man’s personal world in particular.
After the earthshaking events of our generation,8 which have shaken various spiritual foundations and torn away many individuals from deeply rooted family and national traditions, it affected many people and caused them to think that they were left hanging in the wind; [i.e., without something to which they could anchor their lives].
I am referring here even to those of them who are believers; their faith became something that was disconnected from their practical everyday life. They would think about their faith, recite Shema Yisrael or Modeh Ani, often thinking about the meaning of the words, and yet they would go around the entire day with the thought that they were entirely alone, each of them drawing conclusions from these thoughts according to their nature and personality.
The most realistic manner of helping such individuals regain their equilibrium is by revealing within them their familial and ancestral traditions that even now remain concealed within their souls.
They will then perceive that man is not alone. Moreover, they will realize that man is the master of his lot only to a certain extent; for the most part it depends on G-d.
Consequently, the person need not place all the burden[s of his life] on his own shoulders, feeling a tremendously weighty responsibility for everything that happens to him. Surely he need not be filled with despair regarding specific matters or specific situations.
When such individuals are connected with their fount of faith and bitachon, which without the slightest doubt remains deeply rooted in them, this will lead to their peace of mind and will enable them to live their lives in a healthier manner and better be able to fulfill the unique tasks that each and every individual has in life. ...
(Igros Kodesh, Vol. IV, p. 248)
Dwelling on Life’s Misfortunes
... You write about the terrible decree [and misfortune] that transpired ...:
Understandably, you should uproot such thoughts and those like them, since a) they are without foundation; b) there is the celebrated adage uttered by the Rebbeim and Nesi’im generation after generation: “Think positively, and you will see positive results;” [and] c) it is known that the crucial determinant of a person’s feelings when he is unsure of their validity is to ascertain how these feelings will affect his deeds and actions.
We verily observe that the emotions you demonstrate (regarding the harshness of the decree) leads to a lessening of one’s good deeds as well as to despondency and loss of hope. These negative traits are not only prohibited and to be eliminated for spiritual reasons, but for simple common sense reasons as well.
In place of the above, it is my opinion that there lies a sacred obligation on all the friends of the family [of the deceased] to try over and over again to insure that the children of ... alav hashalom follow the path of Torah and mitzvos in their daily lives.
Understandably, it is specifically this that is of the greatest import — of crucial importance not only to the children of the deceased, but to the deceased himself. This is infinitely more important than eulogies or memorial services.
Surely I need not demonstrate to you the truth of such a simple matter, nor need I explain it at further length. ...
(Igros Kodesh, Vol. XVI, p. 213)
Recognizing the Good in Life
From time to time I inquire about your wellbeing and receive news about your welfare from your children sheyichyu. I am surprised by the fact that on a number of occasions they have told me that your mood is not as it should be.
In general, each and every one of us, when we search and ponder our lives, even during the last few years [when matters do not seem to be going so well,] will observe G-d’s kindness and goodness, up to and including matters that were not at all expected.
In fact, the individual sees these things to an even greater extent than does another — as each person knows in his or her own life.
This should lead the person to recognize and acknowledge the blessings and goodness that he has received from G-d, and quite possibly, on more than one occasion, the person has received these blessings without any effort on his part.
This leads to the inevitable conclusion that if there do exist matters that are contrary to a person’s desires, then it may very well be one of two things:
Firstly, quite often a person does not truly know what is best for him and if that which he desires will indeed bring him true benefit or possibly the opposite.
Even when the individual concludes that he knows with one-hundred-percent certainty that the thing is good for him, he still cannot possibly know the reasons why he has not been granted these matters for the time being.
This is analogous to the business world: A good and experienced businessperson will not sell his merchandise at an inopportune time. And this is the case even when he can realize a profit, but that he reckons that by selling his merchandise at a later date he can realize a far greater profit.
The same is so with G-d’s goodness. If it is delayed, it is in all probability because at a later time G-d’s beneficence will be in a much greater manner in both quantity and quality.
This is particularly true in your case, where G-d has blessed you with true nachas from children, something which is not so often found .... Since you and your wife tichye can anticipate even more nachas [from your children,] your going around unhappy (something which can be interpreted as dissatisfaction — G-d forbid — with the manner in which G-d conducts your affairs) defies understanding. Moreover, to a certain extent this is an expression of ingratitude to G-d.
It is self-understood that I am not writing to you in order to admonish you but to convince you that even according to the way you look at your life, the good things in your life are incomparably greater and more significant than those matters that you think are — temporarily — not as they should be.
[Bear in mind] that when a businessman makes an accounting, he does not consider each item individually, but makes a total accounting of the inventory as a whole. [And so too regarding the “balance sheet” of events in your life.]
It is my hope that the above few lines will move you to reconsider the “calculation” that you are making. I am sure that when you will do so, you will reach a much happier conclusion [than you have reached until now]. ...
(Igros Kodesh, Vol. XIII, p. 249)
Experiencing Goodness Throughout One’s Life
I was astounded to read in the letter that I received from you that your husband sheyichye’s spirits are very low.
How can this possibly be after the two of you have personally witnessed and experienced G-d’s wonders and kindnesses. This [experience] should rouse you to great joy, for “In the shining countenance of a king” — the King of kings, blessed G-d — “there is life.”9
And yet, notwithstanding the above, to find oneself in a depressed state?! Surely this is nothing but the machinations of the evil inclination. It is my strong hope that this [down mood] is but a temporary phenomenon, and that it has already passed.
Moreover, we have been promised and assured by our sacred Torah, the Torah of Life, that whenever one has been shown kindness and goodness from Above, it is for many long and good years.
Surely this promise will be fulfilled with regard to you and your husband as well. I await very speedily glad tidings with regard to the above.
(Igros Kodesh, Vol. XIV, p. 410)
Do Not Become Crestfallen by Life’s Challenges
... Surely I need not explain at length to an individual like yourself that there is no room for feeling downhearted from your encountering some difficulties in the course of fulfilling your true task in life, that of “I was created to serve my Maker.”
Such feelings are from the machinations of the evil inclination that seeks to bring the person to a crestfallen state. In point of fact, the entire purpose of the evil inclination lies in man’s vanquishing him. {Indeed, this, [i.e., that the evil inclination be vanquished,] is also the desire of the evil inclination [itself], as is to be understood from the holy Zohar, quoted in Tanya at the conclusion of ch. 29.}
Ultimately, even those matters that presently conceal and obscure [goodness and holiness] are themselves transformed into good — and not only in a manner of “All that G-d does, He does for the good,” i.e., that goodness will eventually result, but in a manner of “This too is for the good,” i.e., that the matter itself becomes good.
{This difference is to be understood from the story itself of Nachum Ish Gam Zu, wherein the transformation of the earth [into weapons] served as overtly revealed goodness, as opposed to the expression “All that G-d does, He does for the good,” [wherein it was merely “for the good” but it was not transformed into actual goodness.]}
This is particularly so as we are now commencing the days of the month in which there is the [joyous] festival of Purim, about which our holy Torah states: “The month” — i.e., this is true of the entire month — “that was transformed for the Jews into [a month of] joy and Yom Tov.”
Now, the concept of “transformation” [during this month] means that the entire month is propitious for transforming those [untoward] events into a form of “joy and Yom Tov” that is palpably revealed to us.
(Igros Kodesh, Vol. XIV, p. 441)
Our
Challenges
Are Commensurate With Our Abilities
It saddened me to learn that your health is not as it should be. Surely a large part is merely nerves and imagination, as well as the fact of not serving G-d with joy, which according to the ruling of the Rambam — quoted in the Tur and Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, ch. 231, and in many other places — includes all aspects of a Jew’s life, including eating, drinking, etc.
Frankly, I am surprised ... for proper faith in G-d compels one to conclude, “a camel is only loaded according to its ability to bear [the load]”;10 i.e., G-d does not demand of a person Divine service that is beyond his capacity. Since “maintaining a healthy and robust body is an integral part of Divine service,” surely this service does not in and of itself diminish the person’s health.